Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Round 2 Preview

As we head into Round 2 of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, we analyse all the fixtures, with a special eye on the crunch ties in each pool.

The 2025 Rugby World Cup kicked off with a bang in Sunderland last Friday, the Red Roses rocking the rodeo to get their campaign underway with an 11-try win over the United States.

Across the opening eight matches there were 72 tries and 481 points scored collectively, as well as 2,100 carries and over 8,000 metres gained.

Will Round 2 provide the same feast of attacking rugby, with elimination now a concerning threat for some sides? Here, we preview the next round of games.

Pool A

The key match in this pool has always been this Round 2 clash between Australia and the USA. With England such heavy favourites to win the group, this match is a winner-takes-all chance to progress to the knockout stage.

Despite the Eagles holding the head-to-head advantage between the sides (W6 L3), it’s the Wallaroos who are the favourites (82%) according to the Opta supercomputer.

A 27-19 victory for Australia when they met the USA earlier this year will be a confidence boost, as will their stunning 73-0 win against Samoa last week. The Eagles have plenty of threat though.

Ilona Maher is their star on and off the pitch; in Round 1 she made the most post-contact metres (34) of any player, and given England struggled to contain her, she could be a game-changer in this one.

England have rotated their squad for their second pool stage game against Samoa. The Pacific Islanders suffered a heavy loss against Australia in Round 1, and a second high-scoring defeat is likely here.

The only previous RWC clash between the sides came in 2014, with the Red Roses winning 65-3 before going on to win the tournament, a double they would love to repeat in 2025.

Pool B

Scotland put in one of the best performances of Round 1, dispatching fierce rivals Wales in Salford (38-8). That bonus-point win should mean comfortable progression to the knockout stage, presuming they avoid a shock loss against Fiji this weekend.

The only previous clash between Scotland and Fiji came last year, with Scotland winning 59-30, their joint highest scoring fixture in their history after an 89-0 loss to England in 2011.

This will likely be a bruising encounter as Fiji made the most dominant tackles (20) of any side in Round 1, while Scotland had the best tackle success rate (95%).

The Fijiana will undoubtedly be targeting this match as their ‘final’ – if they can win this one, then a shock progression to the quarter-finals could be in store.

Canada are the second favourites to win the 2025 Rugby World Cup behind England, and they set their stall out in impressive fashion in Round 1 with a 65-7 thrashing of Fiji.

Victory will be expected once again against a beleaguered Welsh outfit, with the Canucks winning their last seven matches against Wales in a run dating back to 2006.

Pool C

It was Spain who essentially extinguished Ireland’s hopes of reaching the 2021 Rugby World Cup by defeating them 8-7 in an historic qualifying fixture in Parma.

That loss triggered a renaissance in the Irish camp, though, and since that disappointment, they have bounced back and grown into a real contender for the 2025 edition.

A comfortable victory against Japan on the opening weekend should mean their Round 3 game against the Black Ferns decides which side wins Pool C and likely avoids France in the quarter-finals. Before that, however, they must overcome a passionate Spain side.

Somewhat surprisingly, Ireland have a losing record against Spain (W5 L6) but a winning record against New Zealand (W2 L1).

Spain were up against it defensively against NZ last week, making more tackles (246) than any other side in Round 1.

Despite being on the back foot, they kept their cool, conceding just two penalties in the 80 minutes, at least two fewer than any other side. This encounter will be no walkover for Ireland though, and definitely has banana skin potential.

The Black Ferns are one of those sides that peak when it matters, something that is looking familiar after their Round 1 showing against Spain.

They will face tougher opponents, though, and although that real test is unlikely to come in the form of Japan, they will want to keep building confidence ahead of playing Ireland in Round 3.

Avoiding France in the quarter-finals is critical to allow a fragile New Zealand to build confidence and a safer passage all the way to the final to collect a potential seventh title.

Pool D

Pools A, B and C could well see two sides with 10 points and two teams with 0 points after two rounds, but Pool D is more complicated.

France overcame Italy in Round 1 and should comfortably beat newcomers Brazil to leave them with nine points. South Africa are the curveball, however, and could shake things up ahead of the final pool stage round.

South Africa’s ball-carrying game was a real highlight of Round 1, recording the most metres-in-contact of any side (301) and being one of just two teams to beat 40+ defenders (57, also New Zealand).

The Springboks also found a teammate with each of their 13 attempted offloads against Brazil, the only nation with a 100% success rate.

This opened up play and enabled their runners to shine. Ayanda Malinga beat 11 defenders, the joint most of any player in Round 1, and the Springbok winger also made the most post-contact metres (161).

In the forwards it was number 8, Aseza Hele, who impressed most. In just 50 minutes on the pitch she crossed for a hat-trick and proved a nightmare to try and stop. Her 67% tackle evasion rate was the best of anyone to make 10+ carries across the opening round of fixtures.

Italy have won all three of their previous matches against South Africa, but their margin of victory in their most recent clash (WXV2 2024) was just four points. The momentum is with South Africa ahead of this one, but Italy will be relying on their experience to see them through.

One key asset for them is Francesca Sgorbini. She made the joint-most carries of any player in Round 1, with the Azzurre back row one of just five players to make 15+ carries and 15+ tackles (15).

France have never met Brazil before, but they are likely to be undaunted. Les Bleues have won 22 of 24 pool stage games in the Rugby World Cup, only ever losing to England (2006, 2021).

Brazil did manage the highest rate of committing 2+ defenders per carry in Round 1 (71%), but they had limited chances to do damage, making the fewest carries (69) of any team.

A bonus-point win for France is likely to seal their passage to the quarter-finals, and they’ll be hoping their wider squad can get some Rugby World Cup experience in this fixture.